I have been doing a goof bit of research on boats. I am looking for a boat
that my family and I can use on weekends during the summer...2 adults and 2
teenagers.

An ad by Stingray for an 18' boat for $9999 started my interest. I have
since determined that this is probably not what I would like to own.

I have narrowed my choices to:

Stingray 180LX (18' Long 7' wide) w/ 3.0 Merc; Power Steering; CD; Bimini
top; and a top speed of about 49MPH that I can get for about $13K

Bayliner 205 (20' Long 8' Wide) w/5.0 merc; Power Steering; Bimini Top; CD
Player; and a 50MPH Top Speed that I can get for about $19K.

Glastron SX195 (18' 7" long 7'6" Wide) w/ 4.3L Merc; Power Steering; bimini
top; cd player; No Wood construction; and a top speed of about 50 MPH that I
can get for about 19.5K

I like the price of the Stingray, but am afraid it will not be big enough
and that it might be difficult to pull a slalom skier with the driver and 2
others in the boat. The Stingray also looks good, but the stringers (???)
are wood encapsulated in fiberglass, which I understand to be less desirable
that an all composite construction.

For the money, the Bayliner looks like a good value. I am unsure if its
production includes wood or if it is all composite, but the warranty is
strong - lifetime to the original buyer on the hull, and 10 years from date
of purchase is transferable.

Glastron is touting a new "VEC" construction process that is said to be
light and rigid. They offer a lifetime warranty. I don't really care for
the look of this boat, and it doesn't appear as "plush" as the other two,
but I like the idea of an all composite boat.

Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase would be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.

Greg

"G Evans" wrote in message
...
I have been doing a goof bit of research on boats. I am looking for a
boat
that my family and I can use on weekends during the summer...2 adults and
2
teenagers.

An ad by Stingray for an 18' boat for $9999 started my interest. I have
since determined that this is probably not what I would like to own.

I have narrowed my choices to:

Stingray 180LX (18' Long 7' wide) w/ 3.0 Merc; Power Steering; CD; Bimini
top; and a top speed of about 49MPH that I can get for about $13K

Bayliner 205 (20' Long 8' Wide) w/5.0 merc; Power Steering; Bimini Top; CD
Player; and a 50MPH Top Speed that I can get for about $19K.

Glastron SX195 (18' 7" long 7'6" Wide) w/ 4.3L Merc; Power Steering;
bimini
top; cd player; No Wood construction; and a top speed of about 50 MPH that
I
can get for about 19.5K

I like the price of the Stingray, but am afraid it will not be big enough
and that it might be difficult to pull a slalom skier with the driver and
2
others in the boat. The Stingray also looks good, but the stringers (???)
are wood encapsulated in fiberglass, which I understand to be less
desirable
that an all composite construction.

For the money, the Bayliner looks like a good value. I am unsure if its
production includes wood or if it is all composite, but the warranty is
strong - lifetime to the original buyer on the hull, and 10 years from
date
of purchase is transferable.

Glastron is touting a new "VEC" construction process that is said to be
light and rigid. They offer a lifetime warranty. I don't really care for
the look of this boat, and it doesn't appear as "plush" as the other two,
but I like the idea of an all composite boat.

Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase would
be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be
helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.

Greg



Go for bigger than an 18. With 2 teenagers, you will probably have 4 with
you. They always bring their buddy.
Bill

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 23:40:30 -0600, "G Evans"
wrote:

~~ snippity ~~

Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase would be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.

I agree with Bill on the size - with teenagers, you are more likely to
have six than just four. Upsize is much better. Thus, the 20 ft
Bayliner is probably the better choice. If you can get up towards the
22/23 foot level, if would be better.

I would also go for the largest engine package available rather than
the mid-level engine package which probably comes with the boat. It
is unlikely that you will hit 50 with three people onboard and a skier
or get a decent initial pull with the mid-level engine package. My 20
foot Ranger will do fifty and really pull a hole shot with two
onboard, but add two more and the speed drops and the hole shot is not
quite as good. Just a thought.

Bayliner is a good boat - they have a rep for being crap and probably
75% of that is due to older boats that were, frankly, crap. The newer
boats are good boats. Glastron has been in the business forever and
is also a good boat, but again, go larger than 18. Don't know
anything about the other boat you mentioned.

Good luck and let us know what you buy.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
----------

Basic Fishing Program:

10 - Fish
20 - Eat
30 - Sleep
40 - Goto 10

On Tue, 24 Feb 2004 23:40:30 -0600, "G Evans"
wrote:

I have been doing a goof bit of research on boats. I am looking for a boat
that my family and I can use on weekends during the summer...2 adults and 2
teenagers.

That's bound to change if you decide to invite friends, or your kids
want to bring their friends or girl/boyfriends.


An ad by Stingray for an 18' boat for $9999 started my interest. I have
since determined that this is probably not what I would like to own.

A bargain basement special rarely is.

I have narrowed my choices to:

Stingray 180LX (18' Long 7' wide) w/ 3.0 Merc; Power Steering; CD; Bimini
top; and a top speed of about 49MPH that I can get for about $13K

Bayliner 205 (20' Long 8' Wide) w/5.0 merc; Power Steering; Bimini Top; CD
Player; and a 50MPH Top Speed that I can get for about $19K.

Glastron SX195 (18' 7" long 7'6" Wide) w/ 4.3L Merc; Power Steering; bimini
top; cd player; No Wood construction; and a top speed of about 50 MPH that I
can get for about 19.5K

I like the price of the Stingray, but am afraid it will not be big enough
and that it might be difficult to pull a slalom skier with the driver and 2
others in the boat. The Stingray also looks good, but the stringers (???)
are wood encapsulated in fiberglass, which I understand to be less desirable
that an all composite construction.

Pulling a skier has a lot to do with how you prop the boat. You can
get a bit more low end grunt by simply dropping 1 or 2 " in prop
pitch.

But if it were me, I'd want the largest engine available. There's no
such thing as "too much power".

My personal experience with Stingray (I owned a 1995 23'), is that
they are fast (and economical) for the available power. Some of this
is due to their hull design. But much of it is due to the fact that
they build light. My 23' boat weighted in at about 2900 lbs, which was
a full 1000 lbs lighter than my current 24' Checkmate. The downside to
this it that structural integrity may become an issue. It was for me,
as I started seeing longitudinal stress cracks under the hull
amidships in between lifting strakes. That was one of the reasons why
I traded it in on a more "heavy water" handling boat. If you stay on
relatively calm lakes and rivers, this might not be an issue.


For the money, the Bayliner looks like a good value. I am unsure if its
production includes wood or if it is all composite, but the warranty is
strong - lifetime to the original buyer on the hull, and 10 years from date
of purchase is transferable.

Bayliner has suffered from some well deserved bad publicity from their
past products. They have come a long way since then, and are not such
a bad deal anymore. Certainly not the best boat made, but not as bad
as they once were.



Glastron is touting a new "VEC" construction process that is said to be
light and rigid. They offer a lifetime warranty. I don't really care for
the look of this boat, and it doesn't appear as "plush" as the other two,
but I like the idea of an all composite boat.

So do I. It's a relatively new technology. It will either sweep the
boating industry by the storm as the new building process of choice,
or time will expose unknown hidden flaws in the process, which will
ultimately render it unworthy for boat construction. I would hate to
be the guinea pig for that experiment though.



Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase would be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.


Again, get the largest available engine in whatever boat you choose.
There is little difference in fuel economy between different engines
in the same boat, at normal cruising speeds. But you'll miss the power
if you don't have it, and need it.

Also, an 18' boat may be too small if you end up taking out more than
your target 4 people. I'd go for a 20', and get an enclosed cuddy
cabin to afford the females in your group and little "privacy". Along
those lines, make sure you get a porta potti too.

Dave

Ditto other suggestions. Go bigger and get biggest engine. Test drive
whatever boat you decide on and do it with a passenger load consistent with
your use...

"G Evans" wrote in message
...
I have been doing a goof bit of research on boats. I am looking for a
boat
that my family and I can use on weekends during the summer...2 adults and
2
teenagers.

An ad by Stingray for an 18' boat for $9999 started my interest. I have
since determined that this is probably not what I would like to own.

I have narrowed my choices to:

Stingray 180LX (18' Long 7' wide) w/ 3.0 Merc; Power Steering; CD; Bimini
top; and a top speed of about 49MPH that I can get for about $13K

Bayliner 205 (20' Long 8' Wide) w/5.0 merc; Power Steering; Bimini Top; CD
Player; and a 50MPH Top Speed that I can get for about $19K.

Glastron SX195 (18' 7" long 7'6" Wide) w/ 4.3L Merc; Power Steering;
bimini
top; cd player; No Wood construction; and a top speed of about 50 MPH that
I
can get for about 19.5K

I like the price of the Stingray, but am afraid it will not be big enough
and that it might be difficult to pull a slalom skier with the driver and
2
others in the boat. The Stingray also looks good, but the stringers (???)
are wood encapsulated in fiberglass, which I understand to be less
desirable
that an all composite construction.

For the money, the Bayliner looks like a good value. I am unsure if its
production includes wood or if it is all composite, but the warranty is
strong - lifetime to the original buyer on the hull, and 10 years from
date
of purchase is transferable.

Glastron is touting a new "VEC" construction process that is said to be
light and rigid. They offer a lifetime warranty. I don't really care for
the look of this boat, and it doesn't appear as "plush" as the other two,
but I like the idea of an all composite boat.

Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase would
be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be
helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.

Greg

On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 06:56:10 -0800, "Insomniac"
wrote:

Ditto other suggestions. Go bigger and get biggest engine. Test drive
whatever boat you decide on and do it with a passenger load consistent with
your use...

That's a great suggestion.

Later,

Tom
S. Woodstock, CT
----------

Basic Fishing Program:

10 - Fish
20 - Eat
30 - Sleep
40 - Goto 10

Do NOT buy any boat with the 3.0L engine. Underpowered and you'll hate it.
The 4.3 V-6 if ok - what I have - but in an adequate sense. I think 19' is
minimum, but 18' can work. Go for less of a "V" angle (flattest rear end of
the boat) for best skiiing.

"G Evans" wrote in message
...
I have been doing a goof bit of research on boats. I am looking for a
boat
that my family and I can use on weekends during the summer...2 adults and
2
teenagers.

An ad by Stingray for an 18' boat for $9999 started my interest. I have
since determined that this is probably not what I would like to own.

I have narrowed my choices to:

Stingray 180LX (18' Long 7' wide) w/ 3.0 Merc; Power Steering; CD; Bimini
top; and a top speed of about 49MPH that I can get for about $13K

Bayliner 205 (20' Long 8' Wide) w/5.0 merc; Power Steering; Bimini Top; CD
Player; and a 50MPH Top Speed that I can get for about $19K.

Glastron SX195 (18' 7" long 7'6" Wide) w/ 4.3L Merc; Power Steering;
bimini
top; cd player; No Wood construction; and a top speed of about 50 MPH that
I
can get for about 19.5K

I like the price of the Stingray, but am afraid it will not be big enough
and that it might be difficult to pull a slalom skier with the driver and
2
others in the boat. The Stingray also looks good, but the stringers (???)
are wood encapsulated in fiberglass, which I understand to be less
desirable
that an all composite construction.

For the money, the Bayliner looks like a good value. I am unsure if its
production includes wood or if it is all composite, but the warranty is
strong - lifetime to the original buyer on the hull, and 10 years from
date
of purchase is transferable.

Glastron is touting a new "VEC" construction process that is said to be
light and rigid. They offer a lifetime warranty. I don't really care for
the look of this boat, and it doesn't appear as "plush" as the other two,
but I like the idea of an all composite boat.

Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase would
be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be
helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.

Greg

I should also say that the wider beam really is appreciated in the long
term. Otherwise it can get a bit crowded if you anchor and relax after
skiing or if you ever have more than 4 aboard. Ours is 8'6' (about as wide
as you can get to legally trailer it as far as I know) and my wife is
grateful every weekend.

"Geoff 93 RRC" wrote in message
...
Do NOT buy any boat with the 3.0L engine. Underpowered and you'll hate
it.
The 4.3 V-6 if ok - what I have - but in an adequate sense. I think 19'
is
minimum, but 18' can work. Go for less of a "V" angle (flattest rear end
of
the boat) for best skiiing.

"G Evans" wrote in message
...
I have been doing a goof bit of research on boats. I am looking for a
boat
that my family and I can use on weekends during the summer...2 adults
and
2
teenagers.

An ad by Stingray for an 18' boat for $9999 started my interest. I have
since determined that this is probably not what I would like to own.

I have narrowed my choices to:

Stingray 180LX (18' Long 7' wide) w/ 3.0 Merc; Power Steering; CD;
Bimini
top; and a top speed of about 49MPH that I can get for about $13K

Bayliner 205 (20' Long 8' Wide) w/5.0 merc; Power Steering; Bimini Top;
CD
Player; and a 50MPH Top Speed that I can get for about $19K.

Glastron SX195 (18' 7" long 7'6" Wide) w/ 4.3L Merc; Power Steering;
bimini
top; cd player; No Wood construction; and a top speed of about 50 MPH
that
I
can get for about 19.5K

I like the price of the Stingray, but am afraid it will not be big
enough
and that it might be difficult to pull a slalom skier with the driver
and
2
others in the boat. The Stingray also looks good, but the stringers
(???)
are wood encapsulated in fiberglass, which I understand to be less
desirable
that an all composite construction.

For the money, the Bayliner looks like a good value. I am unsure if its
production includes wood or if it is all composite, but the warranty is
strong - lifetime to the original buyer on the hull, and 10 years from
date
of purchase is transferable.

Glastron is touting a new "VEC" construction process that is said to be
light and rigid. They offer a lifetime warranty. I don't really care
for
the look of this boat, and it doesn't appear as "plush" as the other
two,
but I like the idea of an all composite boat.

Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase
would
be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be
helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.

Greg

You'd be happy with either of those three boats.
The Stingray is the least expensive because it has the smaller engine.
Smaller, but adequate. Unless each member of your family weighs 200 pounds,
and you want to pull two skiers at the same time, that engine's OK. I have
the same engine in my 19' Bayliner bowrider and it handles the maximum load
of people and all their stuff with no problem, even getting my 200 pound
body up on skis.
I don't think there's much to be concerned about in the method of
construction in this size boat and your intended use of it.
As for top speed, you'll probably not get much chance to run over 30 mph, so
reaching 40 or 50 mph isn't important. Your speed will be limited by safety,
comfort, traffic and rough water due to breezes creating chop.
Since the prices are close, negotiate for a package to include a couple of
mooring lines and fenders and required safety equipment (life jackets,
throwable cushion, flares, etc and/or water ski equipment (vest, tow line,
skis, water toy).
And, take a Coast Guard Auxiliary or Power Squadron Boating Safety Class
now. They teach the same class and it's good stuff for a beginner to know
right away. It may also save you 10% on your insurance.


"G Evans" wrote in message
...
I have been doing a goof bit of research on boats. I am looking for a
boat
that my family and I can use on weekends during the summer...2 adults and
2
teenagers.

An ad by Stingray for an 18' boat for $9999 started my interest. I have
since determined that this is probably not what I would like to own.

I have narrowed my choices to:

Stingray 180LX (18' Long 7' wide) w/ 3.0 Merc; Power Steering; CD; Bimini
top; and a top speed of about 49MPH that I can get for about $13K

Bayliner 205 (20' Long 8' Wide) w/5.0 merc; Power Steering; Bimini Top; CD
Player; and a 50MPH Top Speed that I can get for about $19K.

Glastron SX195 (18' 7" long 7'6" Wide) w/ 4.3L Merc; Power Steering;
bimini
top; cd player; No Wood construction; and a top speed of about 50 MPH that
I
can get for about 19.5K

I like the price of the Stingray, but am afraid it will not be big enough
and that it might be difficult to pull a slalom skier with the driver and
2
others in the boat. The Stingray also looks good, but the stringers (???)
are wood encapsulated in fiberglass, which I understand to be less
desirable
that an all composite construction.

For the money, the Bayliner looks like a good value. I am unsure if its
production includes wood or if it is all composite, but the warranty is
strong - lifetime to the original buyer on the hull, and 10 years from
date
of purchase is transferable.

Glastron is touting a new "VEC" construction process that is said to be
light and rigid. They offer a lifetime warranty. I don't really care for
the look of this boat, and it doesn't appear as "plush" as the other two,
but I like the idea of an all composite boat.

Any input on theses boats and recommendations for which to purchase would
be
appreciated. Any recommendations against a particular boat would be
helpful
also. I'm ready to pull the trigger, but thought I'd reach out to this
group for some last minute advice.

Greg

I'm no expert on the mechanics of a Bayliner, but checking out various
models out at shows, their lack for fit and finish (that you can see and
feel, or rather, not..) was quite a turn off to me..

just me .02

-j

Bayliner is a good boat - they have a rep for being crap and probably
75% of that is due to older boats that were, frankly, crap. The newer
boats are good boats. Glastron has been in the business forever and
is also a good boat, but again, go larger than 18. Don't know
anything about the other boat you mentioned.